The China branch of Hitachi Construction Machinery (China) Co. Ltd. improved its sewage treatment facilities by the end of August after it violated China's environmental protection regulations, according to China's environmental watchdog here Thursday.

In May the inspection team sent by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) found the China branch of Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. located in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, had discharged sewage with pH values -- the measure of acidity of alkalinity content -- exceeding the legal limit.

The company had installed sewage treatment equipments since its founding on March 27, 1995, and had passed related environmental protection procedures approval when it was founded, according to SEPA.

"Our inspection team found during the actual operation, the company had not strictly followed the sewage treatment procedures and put too much alkali in the sewage treatment," said SEPA official Ren Longjiang.

The company was ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 yuan (US$13,192) and fees for excessive sewage and improve its sewage treatment facilities, according to SEPA.

On July 28, the company has passed examination by Anhui Provincial Environmental Bureau's, after paid the fine and the fees and improved its sewage treatment facilities, according to SEPA.

The company is a large foreign-funded company producing hydraulic excavators.

(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2007)